Netflix's latest K-drama Trigger somewhat recrafted The Purge movie series' concept of dystopia but with different twists

Disclaimer: This article purely contains the author's opinion. Please be advised.

The first name that often strikes one's mind while talking about a dystopian action horror is the long-spanning iconic movie franchise The Purge. But thanks to Netflix's streak of crime thrillers, the latest K-drama Trigger, starring Kim Nam-gil, is (in a way) walking in the footsteps of James DeMonaco's horror thriller film series that ran for almost a decade.

Both the main plots have similar directives, but there are major layers to the two stories, which make them unique. The dystopian thriller Trigger is based on a gun-free nation (South Korea) where the common people suddenly get easy access to free arms leading to a state of anarchy.

However, the buildup is more gradual compared to The Purge (each film has a smaller runtime to tell the whole story), where committing a crime in the US is made legal for half a day. Following this deadly annual event, the entire country suffers a syn-apocalyptic period.

Is Netflix's Trigger somewhat similar to The Purge movie series? Here's what we think

The Purge is a deadly annual event where all sorts of crimes are legalized in a crime-free United States for a twelve-hour stretch. It leads to normal people taking up guns and going out on killing sprees, committing unspeakable crimes - what we call total anarchism.

Now, if we closely observe Netflix's Trigger, the starting point of the plotline has certain subtle similarities. Here's a look at the synopsis of the series per IMDb:

"An action-thriller drama about two men who are trying to solve a mess after firearms are suddenly widely available in South Korea, which used to be a gun-free country, through an unknown source."

South Korea is a gun-free country, but the crime rate is slowly increasing. The nation is observing a surge in the suicide rate among young adults (especially students), and reports of violence have also started increasing.

Amidst such a tumultuous state, suddenly an unidentified entity starts supplying guns all over the country through mysterious courier boxes. But the major twist is that the psychologically vulnerable ones are being targeted first, which eventually becomes the point of culmination of total chaos.

While dystopia is a common theme in both Trigger and The Purge movie series, there are major differences in the plot. While The Purge portrays the reaction of people when they learn that crime is legal for a small time, Trigger is the story about losing one's breaking point and resorting to violence.

The tone is similar, and the accurate portrayal of an armed state of anarchy is noteworthy in both cases. The Netflix K-drama centers on a police officer (with a traumatic childhood and history of war) named Lee Do (portrayed by Kim Nam-gil) who finds himself stuck in a horror-inflicted South Korea.

He must find the mysterious force behind the sudden surge of gun violence and save his nation before the 'Trigger' goes off - before the entire economy tumbles. The Purge also follows a similar dystopic narrative, but it is rather a psychological test for the citizens of a crime-free United States.

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Also Read: Trigger cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the latest Netflix thriller drama?

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